FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Touchdown Tommy]

Ok, great tailgate on Saturday.  Good to see/catch up with Benchwarmer & his pals, Carbo, LBean, Buckman, Dusty's brood, John Sharkman, Wooderson etc. as well as the usual suspects.  Amazing atmosphere at the game on a picture perfect afternoon.  Great to see all the past All-Americans who were honored at halftime.  Several look like they could still suit up today.  I too noticed all the Party Buses in the cornfield as I left Collegeville around 5pm.  Wow.

Sfury: That dropped ball hit the DB right in the hands.  It was tailor made and a big missed opportunity.

A few observations from the game:

1.  Caruso has brass balls.  The designed fake on the 2 point conversion isn't conventional nor wise, but that is exactly why it worked at that point in the game.  No one in the stadium expected it and it was executed flawlessly.

2.  The numerous false start penalties and missed opportunities by the Johnnies was unreal.  I mean they happened coming out of timeouts which is unacceptable.  As an offensive player you know the snap count.  That is your big advantage.

3.  The Johnnies continue to have massive problems getting the right personnel into the game on each play and then getting the play off in time.  There were several situations during the game where there was confusion on who was supposed to be in the game and then the play clock is nearing 5 seconds or less either requiring a quick snap or another wasted timeout.  This has been a problem for a few years now.  Is it impossible to leave the same personnel in the game for 2-3 consecutive plays?  Man the clock management was absolutely terrible (putting it kindly).

4.  Bruns makes the plays that some of the great Johnnie QBs make, but he also has taken unnecessary risks especially throwing the ball across the middle into coverage.  Mistakes are magnified in big (rivalry) games and putting the opponent on the 3 yd line and the 1 yd line by throwing the ball up for grabs is a recipe for a Loss.  I like his arm and his moxie.

5.  The Tommies absolutely controlled the line of scrimmage.  It was damn impressive how much pressure they had on Bruns all day long.  He had literally no time to set his feet and read coverage.  The Tommies did a great job of mixing up the blitz's and made the Johnnie offensive line look like chopped liver.  On defense, the Johnnies look incredibly undersized against the behemoths of UST and got little pressure on Matt O'Connell. 

Ultimately this is a much improved Johnnie team in 2012.  Potentially able to sneak into the playoffs were they to run the table the rest of the way.  But anyone who believes they are capable of a playoff run is hallucinating.  The talent is absolutely there at the skill positions, but lacking in the trenchs.

I predict an 8-2 season for the Johnnies.  The loss will probably come at Bethel on Nov. 10th.  They've got SJU's number (winning 5 of the last 6).  I was asked at the UWEC tailgate what I thought the Johnnies chances were the next 2 weeks (UWEC & UST).  I said I expected them to split them.  Didn't know which they'd win or lose, but that seemed reasonable.

UST has a nice squad per is usual under Caruso.  However, they are absolutely not the juggernaut they showed in 2011 with all those weapons.  I see them losing at least once in the MIAC season (Concordia or Bethel).

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

thats not the one Im stratching my head about....Olaf is a 16.5 dog AT HOME to GAC?... normally Ive found AO's lines to be as good as any Vegas puts out, but this one has me confused.

[AO]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

I'm not attempting to predict the final margin with the spread, I'm trying to get even betting.  So far 5 of 9 pickers have taken the Johnnies.  Not a lot of belief in the cobbs yet. 

[AO]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

thats not the one Im stratching my head about....Olaf is a 16.5 dog AT HOME to GAC?... normally Ive found AO's lines to be as good as any Vegas puts out, but this one has me confused.

..........double checking........whoops.   Still managed to get 3 of 9 to take GAC....maybe GAC is back.

[sjusection105]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

I'm not attempting to predict the final margin with the spread, I'm trying to get even betting.  So far 5 of 9 pickers have taken the Johnnies.  Not a lot of belief in the cobbs yet.

And that,boys & girls, is book-making 101, collect the juice and keep the bets coming in.
With this simple formula,a piece of sand in the Nevada desert became the gambling center of North America 

[faunch]

Ok, great tailgate on Saturday.  Good to see/catch up with Benchwarmer & his pals, Carbo, LBean, Buckman, Dusty's brood, John Sharkman, Wooderson etc. as well as the usual suspects.  Amazing atmosphere at the game on a picture perfect afternoon.  Great to see all the past All-Americans who were honored at halftime.  Several look like they could still suit up today.  I too noticed all the Party Buses in the cornfield as I left Collegeville around 5pm.  Wow.

Sfury: That dropped ball hit the DB right in the hands.  It was tailor made and a big missed opportunity.

A few observations from the game:

1.  Caruso has brass balls.  The designed fake on the 2 point conversion isn't conventional nor wise, but that is exactly why it worked at that point in the game.  No one in the stadium expected it and it was executed flawlessly.

2.  The numerous false start penalties and missed opportunities by the Johnnies was unreal.  I mean they happened coming out of timeouts which is unacceptable.  As an offensive player you know the snap count.  That is your big advantage.

3.  The Johnnies continue to have massive problems getting the right personnel into the game on each play and then getting the play off in time.  There were several situations during the game where there was confusion on who was supposed to be in the game and then the play clock is nearing 5 seconds or less either requiring a quick snap or another wasted timeout.  This has been a problem for a few years now.  Is it impossible to leave the same personnel in the game for 2-3 consecutive plays?  Man the clock management was absolutely terrible (putting it kindly).

4.  Bruns makes the plays that some of the great Johnnie QBs make, but he also has taken unnecessary risks especially throwing the ball across the middle into coverage.  Mistakes are magnified in big (rivalry) games and putting the opponent on the 3 yd line and the 1 yd line by throwing the ball up for grabs is a recipe for a Loss.  I like his arm and his moxie.

5.  The Tommies absolutely controlled the line of scrimmage.  It was damn impressive how much pressure they had on Bruns all day long.  He had literally no time to set his feet and read coverage.  The Tommies did a great job of mixing up the blitz's and made the Johnnie offensive line look like chopped liver.  On defense, the Johnnies look incredibly undersized against the behemoths of UST and got little pressure on Matt O'Connell. 

Ultimately this is a much improved Johnnie team in 2012.  Potentially able to sneak into the playoffs were they to run the table the rest of the way.  But anyone who believes they are capable of a playoff run is hallucinating.  The talent is absolutely there at the skill positions, but lacking in the trenchs.

I predict an 8-2 season for the Johnnies.  The loss will probably come at Bethel on Nov. 10th.  They've got SJU's number (winning 5 of the last 6).  I was asked at the UWEC tailgate what I thought the Johnnies chances were the next 2 weeks (UWEC & UST).  I said I expected them to split them.  Didn't know which they'd win or lose, but that seemed reasonable.

UST has a nice squad per is usual under Caruso.  However, they are absolutely not the juggernaut they showed in 2011 with all those weapons.  I see them losing at least once in the MIAC season (Concordia or Bethel).

TT:
A few thoughts on your observations...

1.  Agreed.
2.  That's on the O-Coordinator having his players ready to play the game...What's his name again?
3.  O-Coordinator...again...anybody see a theme?
4.  Bruns is good and will get better.
5.  Need to recruit more talented players to play in the trenches on both sides of the ball.  UST is bigger, faster, and stronger....no doubt.  Time for SJU to figure this one out.

I can't see the Jays finishing better than 7-3.  This is a team that could get upended a couple more times this season and finish 6-4.  IMO 8-2 would be a surprise.

I do agree that the winner of the conference could be a one loss team.  If the Johnnies could somehow run the table (not likely however) they might have a shot at a share. 

I spoke to at least one alum that thinks John will be done (aka asked to retire) at the end of the season.  That would be hard to believe considering if he wins 8 games this year he will be only 8 wins away from 500. 

Is it an overreaction or a legitimate concern to think that it's time for John to move on?  His success is unrivaled however SJU is getting outworked on and off the field by UST.  In addition Bethel has also usurped the Johnnies in the MIAC hierarchy. 
It's my opinion that SJU will remain a 3rd or 4th place program for a number of years.

1.  John and Jimmy are not on the recruiting trail.  It's also my opinion that Jimmy isn't really involved in the process that much at all.  When the head coach and OC aren't actively involved in the process I believe it becomes difficult to recruit quality players on the offensive side of the ball.

2. SJU just doesn't know how to recruit.  I've heard enough stories of screw ups and poor recruit experiences.  I was told just yesterday that when SJU staff made a phone call to Logan Marks they asked if Mark Logan was home.

Could Caruso end up being the only MIAC coach w/ a winning record vs. Gagliard?

Feel free to discuss among yourselves...

[WashedUp]

Could Caruso end up being the only MIAC coach w/ a winning record vs. Gagliard?

Not if Pagel has anything to say about it. 

[hazzben]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

This is always a tough game to call. These two teams have history and typically play each other tight. I hear all your points. I don't think there's much argument except that although SJU is 2-1, they've played the tougher schedule to date as well.

I could see this going either way. The only thing that would shock me would be a blowout by either side.

[hazzben]

I can't see the Jays finishing better than 7-3.  This is a team that could get upended a couple more times this season and finish 6-4.  IMO 8-2 would be a surprise.

I do agree that the winner of the conference could be a one loss team.  If the Johnnies could somehow run the table (not likely however) they might have a shot at a share. 

I spoke to at least one alum that thinks John will be done (aka asked to retire) at the end of the season.  That would be hard to believe considering if he wins 8 games this year he will be only 8 wins away from 500. 

Is it an overreaction or a legitimate concern to think that it's time for John to move on?  His success is unrivaled however SJU is getting outworked on and off the field by UST.  In addition Bethel has also usurped the Johnnies in the MIAC hierarchy. 
It's my opinion that SJU will remain a 3rd or 4th place program for a number of years.

Feel free to discuss among yourselves...

I think this weekend goes a long way to the range of what we could expect from SJU. Get a W on the road and this could easily be an 8-2 or maybe even 9-1 team. 7-3, with wins over UWEC and the Cobbers would require a surprise loss somewhere. A loss on Saturday and it could get interesting. But if they are improved, I've got a hard time seeing them at 6-4. They've already beaten UWEC, and they showed last year that improvement as the season progresses is a reasonable expectation.

Hard to believe there's talk about Gags being asked to retire. What if he's asked and he refuses? I can't imagine SJU firing him. And he is really close to 500. An 8 win season would seem to make it likely he'd get more time. How on earth could you ask him to retire when he's potentially within one season of such a remarkable number? But even without 8 wins, do they really push him out? Obviously you guys have a lot more insight into the athletic dept. and alumni situation than I do.

Here's a question. When John is done, what are the odds of Jimmy still being a coach there long term? Typically a new HC has some say in his staff. There's obviously a lot of guys on the current staff who have experience and solid coaching reps. But all I tend to hear are negatives regarding Jimmy. Maybe he's just the scapegoat and an easier target than his father. Maybe he really isn't that good. I've got opinions, but they're from a distance.

Point being, is it possible that John is hanging on because he worries or suspects that when he's steps down his son might not be far behind him? That's a serious question. Jimmy's been at SJU for a long time. What are his options if he's not retained after the inevitable departure of his father? Would he even want to coach for another team besides SJU?

If I'm the new HC at SJU (real likely, right guys  ) I'd rather not have the previous HC's son on my staff. Especially when you'll already be coaching in his father's shadow. And if you're SJU, you've got the history, alumni support, facilities and intangibles to be a great program moving forward. Do you really want Jimmy's presence possibly diluting the pool of applicants for what could otherwise be viewed as a pretty cherry gig?

[sjusection105]

2. SJU just doesn't know how to recruit.  I've heard enough stories of screw ups and poor recruit experiences.  I was told just yesterday that when SJU staff made a phone call to Logan Marks they asked if Mark Logan was home.


Feel free to discuss among yourselves...

How confident are you with your source? The reason I ask is how could this happen? Isn't he a kid that went to St. Thomas Academy? During the time he was being recruited didn't we have at least one player on the roster who went to STA? Isn't there a current assistant coach,who was a player around that time (5 years ago) that went to STA? If you are confident with your source- OUCH that is a major Faux Pas and would tend to be spread like wild fire around that player's buddies as to "they tried to recruit me and didn't even know my name"

[faunch]

2. SJU just doesn't know how to recruit.  I've heard enough stories of screw ups and poor recruit experiences.  I was told just yesterday that when SJU staff made a phone call to Logan Marks they asked if Mark Logan was home.


Feel free to discuss among yourselves...

How confident are you with your source? The reason I ask is how could this happen? Isn't he a kid that went to St. Thomas Academy? During the time he was being recruited didn't we have at least one player on the roster who went to STA? Isn't there a current assistant coach,who was a player around that time (5 years ago) that went to STA? If you are confident with your source- OUCH that is a major Faux Pas and would tend to be spread like wild fire around that player's buddies as to "they tried to recruit me and didn't even know my name"

Pretty confident.

[sjusection105]

2. SJU just doesn't know how to recruit.  I've heard enough stories of screw ups and poor recruit experiences.  I was told just yesterday that when SJU staff made a phone call to Logan Marks they asked if Mark Logan was home.


Feel free to discuss among yourselves...

How confident are you with your source? The reason I ask is how could this happen? Isn't he a kid that went to St. Thomas Academy? During the time he was being recruited didn't we have at least one player on the roster who went to STA? Isn't there a current assistant coach,who was a player around that time (5 years ago) that went to STA? If you are confident with your source- OUCH that is a major Faux Pas and would tend to be spread like wild fire around that player's buddies as to "they tried to recruit me and didn't even know my name"

Pretty darn confident.

That's what I was afraid of. 
Your sources are usually pretty solid.
Has your brother's players  had any interaction with the recruiting process at SJU? If so what was their experience? He's had some very solid teams over the years down south.

[USTBench]

Trying to figure out how CC is a 3.5 dog to SJU. Looking at it objectively, CC has votes in the D3 poll and SJU does not, CC is 3-0 and SJU is 2-1, CC is playing at home, so that is worth 3 points (-3 points). In essence the line says that SJU is a TD favorite-not sure about that.

thats not the one Im stratching my head about....Olaf is a 16.5 dog AT HOME to GAC?... normally Ive found AO's lines to be as good as any Vegas puts out, but this one has me confused.

..........double checking........whoops.   Still managed to get 3 of 9 to take GAC....maybe GAC is back.

Yeah...looked at it too fast. Had it the other way around in my head. Modifyed

[hazzben]

First round of NCAA stats released. Doesn't tell us everything at this early point of the season, but fun none the less.

Things that stand out:

Rush Defense:
#4 UST
#13 Bethel
#17 MAC
#29 Cobbers
#69 GAC
#72 Carleton

Pass Defense:
#15 Bethel
#92 Cobbers
#98 Carleton

Total Defense:
#3 Bethel
#9 MAC
#33 Cobbers
#59 Carleton
#74 UST

Scoring Defense:
#2 Bethel
#14 MAC
#32 Carleton
#64 Cobbers/UST
#85 St. Olaf

Pass Eff. Defense:
#4 Bethel
#34 MAC
#42 UST
#75 St. Olaf
#86 Cobbers

[hazzben]

Other side of the ball:

Rushing Offense:
#3 Cobbers
#30 Augsburg
#46 GAC
#60 UST
#71 MAC

Passing Offense:
#29 SJU
#33 UST
#86 Augsburg
#89 Bethel

Total Offense:
#19 UST
#23 Cobbers
#41 Augsburg
#48 SJU
#64 GAC
#92 MAC

Scoring Offense:
#26 MAC
#29 Bethel
#32 UST
#37 Cobbers
#41 SJU
#49 Augsburg
#71 GAC

Turnover Margin:
#1 GAC
#28 Bethel
#36 St. Olaf
#41 Carleton/MAC